Comparison

Cheatsheet vs Shortnotes

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Cheatsheet

Quickly store and access important information like hotel room numbers or license plates via widgets, a custom keyboard, or your Apple Watch. This app simplifies recalling details without needing to unlock your phone.

Highlights
  • Quick recall memos
  • Widget access
  • Custom keyboard integration
  • Apple Watch app
  • Search functionality
  • Organize with folders
  • Format notes
Features
Read full description

Cheatsheet is for the little things you never remember: hotel rooms, license plates, luggage combination, ID numbers. Write them down in Cheatsheet and then refer to them anytime in a Widget or paste them anywhere with the Custom Keyboard. No more fumbling to unlock your phone and find your notes app; Cheatsheet is as easy as looking at your lock screen, pulling up the keyboard, or glancing at your Apple Watch. App Features: • Simple UI for adding and managing your cheats. • Over 450 icons to help you recognize what you’re looking for. • Quickly copy a cheat by tapping-and-holding on a row. • Search for your cheats, both in the app and in Spotlight. • Use Shortcuts or Siri to “add notes to Cheatsheet” or “find notes in Cheatsheet”. • Organize your cheats with folders and titles. • Format your notes with bold, italics, lists, links, and more. • Protect your cheats with Passcode Lock (Pro feature). • Sync between all your iOS devices via iCloud (Pro feature). Widgets: • Multiple sizes, styles, and colors. • Tap a cheat to open it. Tap the “+” button to add a cheat in the app. • Cheatsheet also has a “Today widget” with options to copy or delete cheats. Apple Watch: • Add, edit, and delete cheats right from your wrist. • Complications show your top cheat (or several cheats) right on your watch face. • Syncs to your iPhone via iCloud (Pro feature). Keyboard Extension: • Shows up to 50 cheats, which you can insert anywhere you can use a custom keyboard. • Includes space, delete, and return keys to help with simple edits. Advanced Features: • Automate your workflows with Shortcuts. • Action extension: send text or URLs to Cheatsheet from any app via the share sheet. • Customize the Cheatsheet widget’s appearance and behavior to suit your needs. • Add or open notes from Control Center (iOS 18 required). • URL scheme for adding a cheat: cheatsheet://add?text=everything%20is%20awesome. Cheatsheet Pro: • Remove limits on the widget, keyboard, and Watch app. • Protect your cheats with Passcode Lock. • Organize your cheats with folders. • Sync your cheats between your devices with iCloud. • Cheatsheet Pro is a simple, annual subscription; there is a one-time purchase option for customers who want to avoid subscriptions. Cheatsheet for Mac is sold separately. • Purchases help support the ongoing development of Cheatsheet — this app is beloved by its users and has over 10 years of active development by a single indie developer, so your support is truly appreciated! Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Shortnotes

Capture and organize small pieces of information like codes, names, or license plates. Access your quick references across all your Apple devices, with options to add tags, photos, and even import notes from your desktop.

Highlights
  • Simple note adding and deleting
  • Attach images to notes
  • Speech input for notes
  • Organize notes in folders
  • Filter notes by tags
  • iCloud synchronization
  • Today Widget and Apple Watch support
Features
Read full description

Shortnotes is perfect for all the little stuff that is not a "real" note. Your colleague's name, license plate, codes, room numbers, medicine names etc. Just put them down in one place and access them on your iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch. Organize your notes in folders, attach tags and photos. View your favorite notes in the Today Widget. For pupils and students: now it's possible to prepare also large notes on your desktop computer and import them later in Shortnotes! Good luck ;-) Features: - Simple adding and deleting notes - Attaching images to the notes - Text formatting options - Create notes using speech input - Export as text file (.rtf) - Organize your short notes in folders - Changing the sort order of the notes - Favorites view - Filter notes by tags - Favorite notes are displayed in the App Widget (Today Extension) - iCloud-synchronisation. All of your notes are automatically synchronised between your devices like iPhone, iPad or Mac using iCLoud. Shortnotes Pro: - Import of the text files (.txt .rtf) - Favorite notes are displayed on your Apple Watch - Your purchase will help support the ongoing development of Shortnotes!

Screenshots

Cheatsheet4 screens
Shortnotes4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Cheatsheet at 4.7 against Shortnotes's 4.1. Cheatsheet also leads on review sentiment (81% vs 46%) and ratings volume (1.9K vs 12). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Cheatsheet sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and Shortnotes sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Cheatsheet holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Cheatsheet has 1.9K ratings behind it against 12, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 81% of Cheatsheet's written reviews are positive against 46% of Shortnotes's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Cheatsheet ships an update every 2 weeks, Shortnotes every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Cheatsheet versus Shortnotes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCheatsheetShortnotes
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (1.9K ratings) — better4.1 (12 ratings)
Positive reviews80.7% of reviews — better45.7% of reviews
Number of ratings1.9K — better12
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS17.4 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size128 MB19 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperOverdesigned, LLCIlya Gorodnyanskiy

Customer experience

Cheatsheet

All ratings1,913 ratings
Positive94.3%
Neutral2.0%
Negative3.7%
Written reviews805 reviews
Positive80.7%
Neutral5.1%
Negative14.2%

Shortnotes

All ratings12 ratings
Positive58.3%
Neutral33.3%
Negative8.3%
Written reviews92 reviews
Positive45.7%
Neutral10.9%
Negative43.5%

Bugs and requests

Cheatsheet

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Entries disappearing from widget
  • Syncing problems between devices
  • Crashes on older devices

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add ability to sort/reorder entries
  • Improve sync reliability
  • Implement password protection
  • Allow adding images/attachments to entries
  • Expand customization options (colors, icons, etc.)

Shortnotes

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

9 purchases

Cheatsheet

Subscriptions4
  • Cheatsheet Pro$0.991 Month
  • Cheatsheet Pro$1.991 Month
  • Cheatsheet Pro$4.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Cheatsheet Pro14 Days trial$9.991 Year
One-time5
  • Small Tip$2.99
  • Medium Tip$5.99
  • Big Tip$9.99
Show 2 more
  • Legacy$19.99
  • Cheatsheet Pro (Lifetime)$79.99
1 purchases

Shortnotes

One-time1
  • Shortnotes Pro$3.99

Questions

Is Cheatsheet free?
Cheatsheet is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Shortnotes free?
Shortnotes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Cheatsheet or Shortnotes?
Cheatsheet is rated higher. Cheatsheet averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.9K ratings, while Shortnotes averages 4.1 from 12 ratings.
Do Cheatsheet or Shortnotes have ads?
Neither Cheatsheet nor Shortnotes shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Cheatsheet or Shortnotes?
Cheatsheet ships an update every 2 weeks, and Shortnotes every 2 months. Most recently, Cheatsheet was updated on November 1, 2026 and Shortnotes on November 2, 2026.

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